As we reported on Tuesday, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves announced his upcoming childcare summit and it’s connected to his new childcare initiative..
Mayor Reeves emphasized that he views childcare access as a “quality of life issue, an education issue, and a workforce development and economic development issue.”
The initiative will be led by Theresa Cserep, the city’s Education and Youth Programs officer, who brings over 20 years of leadership experience in education. The city will host a Childcare Summit from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, at Pensacola City Hall. It will bringi together childcare providers, local and state experts, business leaders, and community advocates to diagnose key issues and develop implementation strategies.
“This isn’t a monthly meeting, this isn’t a weekly meeting. This is let’s get in the room together and diagnose and let’s get in the room together and figure out our best way forward,” said Mayor Reeves.
The mayor added that resources to support childcare access may include:
- Potential use of the Alice Williams building on E Street, which is being renovated
- CDBG commercial revitalization grants in both Brownsville and around the Baptist Hospital site
- Collaboration with the Children’s Trust through a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
Reeves acknowledged that childcare availability is a challenge at all levels, from subsidized care to market-rate options, with issues including workforce development, business training, and financial sustainability for providers.
MORE BACKGROUND: Earlier this week, Cserep told Inweekly that the May 28 meeting would be the first of two phases. The date and participants of the second phase will be determined by what is accomplished during the summit on May 28.
Fifty-one representatives from “anybody who touches childcare.” including the Miami-Dade Children’s Trust and Florida Chamber of Commerce, have been invited.
“The goal of this is a roundtable discussion that addresses the critical issue of childcare and how it affects families, workforce and the community,” said Theresa Cserep, city education and youth programs officer. “It’ll be a conversation on identifying gaps. There’s lots of research out there, data out there, but we want to consolidate that to identify those gaps.”
“It’s so important we have quality childcare facilities set up, not just children housed–safe and stimulated childcare facilities so our kids are set up for success,” Cserep said.
OTHER TAKEAWAYS
New Flight Routes from Pensacola International Airport
The mayor shared news that Breeze Airways is expanding service from Pensacola International Airport with two new direct routes:
- Bentonville/Fayetteville, Arkansas (starting Sept. 4)
- Memphis, Tennessee (starting Sept. 5)
This expansion follows Breeze’s previous additions of service to Tampa and Raleigh-Durham, showing continued growth for the carrier that only began serving Pensacola about a year ago.
Galvez Day Celebration Plans
Despite inclement weather plans being in place, Galvez Day celebrations will proceed on Friday with:
- A program at 10 a.m. inside the Perry House
- A public luncheon at the Pensacola Yacht Club at 11:30 a.m. (reservations required at historicpensacola.org)
- A wreath-laying ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park at 3 p.m.
Who’s Galvez? My podcast co-host Sena Maddison created this YouTube video on the Revolutionary War hero:
Artisan Residence Program
Danny DeCastro will host a public listening session on Monday, May 12th at 5:30 p.m. to shape the city’s Artisan Residence Program. The program will contribute to the strategic plan’s goals of creating public spaces that connect communities and developing neighborhoods that celebrate culture and honor legacy.
District 2 Town Hall
Councilman Bare will hold a District 2 town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 13th at 5:30 p.m. at Asbury Place at Cokesbury Church (5727 North 9th Avenue).
Mayor to Visit White House
Mayor Reeves announced he will join the mayor of Columbia, SC, Daniel Rickman, for a meeting with Alex Meyer, head of US Governmental Affairs at the White House, on Monday, May 13. They will discuss policy issues including jobs, education, workforce development, and preserving controls that allow cities to have public-private partnerships.
Education Initiatives and Baptist Hospital Property
The mayor discussed his recent visit to the Lincoln Academy in Beloit, Wisc., a charter school that he toured to learn about best practices in education. When asked about the possibility of a charter school at the Baptist Hospital property, Reeves indicated that education improvements are a priority, though specific plans aren’t finalized.
“We aren’t going to sit on our hands, we’re not going to say it’s someone else’s job,” Reeves said regarding education improvements in Pensacola. “Whether that’s collaboration with the school district, whether that’s the children’s trust, whether that’s a charter school… we will do anything that we can within reason to improve educational outcomes in this county and the city.”
Baptist Hospital Project and Bay Center
The mayor provided an update on the Baptist Hospital project, noting that the city has signed an agreement that is now with the clerk for final execution. Regarding the county’s $2 million contribution to the project, Reeves clarified that while the state’s $7 million grant is not legally contingent on county funding, the agreement with Baptist does assume county participation.
The mayor has requested to be on the county’s May 15th agenda to discuss collaboration on the project.
Mayor Reeves expressed a preference for a joint meeting between the city council, county commission, and himself regarding the Bay Center, rather than forming a committee. He suggested that creating a committee might actually slow down progress rather than speed it up.
“The whole spirit of bringing that up…was for government efficiency, and if we don’t watch it, we’re going to spend three or four months building this government efficiency group instead of actually getting something done,” Reeves explained.
Other Updates
- Portside Development: The mayor indicated the project appears close to completion, with three outdoor courts potentially ready to open soon.
- Wayside Park: Reeves explained that improvements to Wayside Park are on hold due to the $30 million fishing bridge project, which will use the park as a construction staging area for approximately 18-24 months.
